Combined screw-cap and side seal.



H. E. TOWNSEND. COMBINED SCREW CAP AND SIDE SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. H- 19".

Patented Mar. 19, 191&

INVENTOR a Mr ATTORNEYS.

w vw g UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY E. TOWNSEND, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'IO ANCHOR CAP & CLOSURE CORPORATION, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COMBINED SCREW-CAP AND SIDE SEAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 11, 1917. Serial No. 161,178.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY E. Town- SEND, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Screw-Caps and Side Seals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates broadly to closures for bottles and more particularly to a combined screw cap and seal adapted for use with ketchup bottles and the like.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a combined permanent cover and destructible seal where the seal may be used during the shipping and storing and'the cover be used during the time when the package is being gradually emptied by use.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a unitary cover and permanent seal comprising a combined screw cap and side seal.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a screw cap with an outwardly extending bead adjacent the lower edge thereof, which bead is adapted to carry a removable gasket that may be compressed gainst the side walls of a suitable container to provide a permanent seal to be used in sealing packages for shipping and storing.

Other and further objects of the present invention will in part be obvious and will in part be pointed out hereinafter in the specification following by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like parts are represented by like characters throughout the several figures thereof.

Figure 1 is a detail view showing a section through a container mouth having the screw cap thereon prior to the sealing operation.

Fig. 2 is a detail view showing a section through the container mouth with the screw cap in position and the seal completed.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of a ketchup bottle sealed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the container mouth in section and illustrating the first step in the removal of the gasket.

Fi 5 is a detail view showing the second step in the removal of the gasket.

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the contamer mouth in section with the gasket removed and the cap adaptable for use as a removable cover.

Heretofore in the art the most common method of packing ketchup and similar usable sauces is to plug the mouth of the bottle with a cork and thencover the exteriorof the bottle with a removable heavy foil cap. The difliculty with this type of closure is that the cork to be satisfactory must fit very tightly and thereby be hard to remove so that usually the cork is broken up and unfit for further use, or at least is usually so weakened that further use causes the cork to break and very frequently it is necessary to push the broken portion of the cork into the contents of the bottle in order to facilitate removal of the contents. The relatively thick foil does not form a satisfactory cover because usage very quickly distorts this cap so that it becomes unsightly and does not fit with sufiicient tightness to adequately protect the contents of the bottle. Caps of heavier material have been provided but the use of such caps with separate plug corks adds considerable expense to the package and does not obviate the difiiculties attendant with the use of cork stoppers.

The present invention includes the provision of a screw cap of relatively heavy sheet material of such strength and thickness as to be incompressible in ordinary usage, and to provide this screw cap on the lower edge with a bead constructed to be formed into a side closure, as, for example, the type of closure illustrated in'my prior application Serial No. 141,551, filed Jan. 10, 1917. This type of closure includes a gasket seated against the exterior side walls of the container and wherein the gasket is under radial pressure throughout its entire circumference. A portion of the sealing head after the sealing operation is completed is so constructed. that the gasket may be easily removed and the screw cap may then be removed thereby breaking the seal to permit the package to be opened for use and the screw cap now becomes a permanent closure thatmay be attached and detached as often as is desired to permit the use of the contents of the bottle. It, therefore, will be seen that the present invention includes pri- 'marily a detachable permanent closure in combination with a destructiblc seal adaptentire ed to hermetically close the package until it has reached the ultimate consumer. A still further advantage of the present invention over the prior art is that the screw cap.m ay be seated against the glass bottle neck with sulficient play and looseness to permit the ultimate seal to be accomplished under a vacuum. This type of seal is particularly desirable in connection with ketchup and other food products which under certain conditions may tend to deteriorate unless the air is removed from the package. This type of package is also particularly adaptable for processing or heat treatment after the package is sealed.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the bottle 1 is provided with a neck 2 having screw threads 4 formed on the exterior of the end of the neck. These screw threads 4 are adapted to engage the threads 5 provided in the screw cap 6 to enable the screw cap to be properly retained in position upon the bottle neck 2. The lower end of the screw cap is provided with anv annular bead comprising an outstanding web 7 and a depending skirt 8 beneath which is seated a suitable gasket ring 9 made of rubber composition or other suitable material. When the screw cap is placed inposition upon the bottle, after the bottle has been filled, it is adaptable to be subjected to a sealing operation whereby a side seal is effected. For convenience I have illustrated the type of side seal shown in my prior application, which seal comprises an annular skirt 10 that forms the major support for the now compressed gasket 9 and a double walled metal ring or shelf 11 forming an annular groove 12 adjacent the body portion of the cap. It will be noted that the compressed gasket 9 is under radial pressure and is tightly seated against the side wall of the bottle neck. The skirt 10 at a suitable point is provided in its lower edge with a cut-away portion 14 and the seal may be conveniently broken by bending up the double walled ring 11, as is illustrated at 15 in Figs. 4;and 5, and then pulling the gasket 9 downwardly, as at 16, Fig. 5, and finally breaking the gasket at this point and pulling the gasket from beneath the band 10 around the entire circumference of the seal leaving the partsin the position shown in Fig. 6. As has been fully explained in the previous application referring to this type of seal, the lacquer on the metal is not unduly distorted so therefore this type of clo sure is particularly useful and desirable in connection with food products wherein the packer desires trade names and other distinguishing characteristics to'be lacquered on the cap.

. Realizing that this invention may be embodied in structures other than the specific construction herein disclosed, it is my desire distorted to enable said that the said disclosed construction be considered merely as illustrative and not in the limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. A hermetically sealed package, in combination with a glass bottle provided on the exterior of the neck with screw threads, a straight walled portion adjacent said screw threads, a screw threaded cap adapted to engage the said screw threads and to extend over the smooth side wall of the container when the cap is in position upon the container, the portion of the cap extending over the smooth side wall comprising an annular skirt spaced apart from the said smooth side wall, an annular ring of folded metal connecting said skirt with the screw threaded portion of the cap and being angularly disposed relatively to said screw threaded portion to provide an annular groove where the ring joins the side wall of the cap, and a gasket between the said skirt and the said smooth side wall to maintain a hermetic seal.

2. A sealed package comprising, in combination, a glass bottle provided with screw threads on the exterior of the mouth thereof,

a screw threaded cap adapted to engage said screw threads to seat the cap in position upon said mouth, a hermetic seal comprising a bead formed on the lower edge of said cap to provide an annular skirt spaced apart from the side wall of the neck, an annular ring of folded metal connecting said skirt with the screw threaded side wall of the cap, said annular ring being angularly disposed relatively to the side wall of the container, and a gasket tightly compressed between said annular skirt and the side wall of the container to form a hermetic seal.

3. A sealed package comprising a suitable glass container provided with screw threads adjacent the mouth thereof, a hermetic seal comprising a bead formed at the lower edge of the said screw cap and comprising an annular skirt spaced apart from the side wall of the container, an annular ring angularly disposed relatively tosaid skirt, a compressible gasket under radial compression beneath said skirt and tightly compressed against the side wall of said container, and means wherebv said annular ring may be gasket to be removed to break the hermetic seal.

Y 4. In a device of the character described, in combination, a glass container provided with screw threads adjacent the mouth thereof and a relatively smooth area on the side wall of the container and adjacent said threads, a screw cap adapted to fit overthe said mouth and engage said threads to position the cap over the mouth of the container, a bead formed upon said screw cap, a gasketv beneath said bead and. against the side Wall of the container, and annular compression means comprising a portion of sa1d bead and maintaining said gasket tightly against the said smooth sidewall portion to form a hermetic seal.

5. As an article of manufacture, a screw threaded cap provided on its lower end-with an annular bead comprising a wall at substantially right angles to the axis-of the cap whereby said bead is adapted to carry a suitable gasket. and to be deformed to compress said gasket radially toward the axis of the cap and against the side walls of a suitable container when said cap is in position upon such container.

6. A'san article of manufacture, a screw cap provided with an annular bead ada ted to receive and inclose a suitable ac "g gasket'constructed to be sealed an maintain radial pressure against the smooth side wall of a container when said cap is in position upon said container.

7. As an article of manufacture, a screw ca provided on its lower edge with an a nu ar bead constructed to carr a suitable gasket whereby distortion of said bead in a suitable sealing chuck will compress said gasket radially against the side wall of the container to form a hermetic seal.

8. As an article of manufacture, a screw threaded cap provided on its lower edge with an annular bead constructed to be deformed and thereby compress a suitable gasket radially against the side wall of a container to comprise a hermetic seal when said cap is in position upon a suitable container.

'9. As an article of manufacture, a screw threaded cap adaptable for use with a glass bottle provided with screw threads, a hermetric sealing bead formed upon and integral with said screw threaded cap whereby the deforming of the sealing bead compresses a suitable gasket against the side wall of a container.

HARRY E. 

